Astros Notes: Backe still recovering

Published 5:30 am, Saturday, April 18, 2009

Astros righthander Brandon Backe, who hasn’t pitched in a game since suffering a left intercostal strain in early March, will throw a simulated game today for the first time since he was hurt.

If all goes well, Backe might be ready for a rehab assignment by late next week.

“I feel good,” he said. “It’s a slow process.

“Not trying to go any quicker than what they’re telling me. I don’t feel anything, so that’s good.” Asked at what stage of spring training he would be health-wise at this point, Backe felt strong enough to possibly make a two-inning, 40-pitch appearance, which equates to the first week of exhibition games and third week of a six-week camp overall.

“My arm’s in better shape than it would be arriving to spring training,” he said. “I feel like I could go and throw two innings in the first outing in spring training, but they’re not going to let me.”

Manager Cecil Cooper said it was possible that, after throwing a simulated game today, Backe might throw another one two days later, another one two days after that, then a side session and then “he might be ready to go pitch.”

“Pudge Rodriguez has played some third base, which gives me an option of moving Blum around a little bit,” Cooper said. “As funny as it might sound, Darin Erstad has played a little bit of infield.

“And, heck, I might even have to stick him in some place. He’s lefthanded, but I have to think of someplace.

“Michael Bourn has played second base before and shortstop. Carlos Lee’s a third baseman.

“There’s some options. I got some things. If we get to the point we need to, we can get creative. Jason Michaels told me he played third base one inning in this place, this ballpark. So we got options. Did I say they were (good) options? But we got options. ”

Smith started at second base Friday. Michaels has played outfield most of his career, but he played an inning at third base against the Astros.

Lee was signed out of Panama as a third-base prospect, a position he played early in his minor league career. Rodriguez has taken grounders at third Erstad, who also serves as the backup first baseman, has come in from the outfield to play the infield in desperate situations when managers have ordered five infielders.

“I wouldn’t feel comfortable at any of them, but I’d do it,” Erstad said when asked what infield position he’d feel most comfortable playing other than first. “I’ve just played shortstop in five-man infields, but nothing crazy.”

Matsui at batting practice

Kaz Matsui took batting practice Friday for the first time since he was forced out of the lineup with a stiff back Tuesday.

“It went OK,” Matsui said. “I want to run a little bit, but there was no discomfort.”

Asked if he might be ready to return to the lineup today, Matsui said, “Maybe, yeah.”Considering manager Cecil Cooper said he didn’t expect Matsui to be ready until today at the earliest and that Matsui was ahead of Jeff Keppinger, it seems as though Keppinger might not be ready before Sunday.